Budget Day Today

[Alfie]

Oh yes, let's by all means get xenophobic. What precisely do you think these drivers are doing here other than either delivering to the British economy or picking up goods from them? Sight-seeing?

It's called trade.

I think you are being a bit over sensitive here.

I have absolutely nothing whatsoever against anyone from any eastern european country. What irritates me is the exploitation of the British system that is going on. This is presently being done by HGV drivers from predominantly Eastern european countries at present. This exploitation is costing a lot of jobs. It is the responsibility of the government to look after its own populous rather than providing a system which favours other countries above its own. Something this government is not very good at.

As for xenophobia - rubbish. I employ Romanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, French, Russian and native British from diverse backgrounds and cultures. All of them pay their taxes under the same system. Thats fair.

 

[BonzoDog]

Were a nation addicted to borrowing though...

Judging by adverts on TV, the UK is notable for its saturation with Finance related adverts, something I haven't seen elsewhere, except perhaps bank advertising in the US.
From that I would infer that there is an incredible amount of borrowing going on.

 

[glojo]

Yesterday I posted a message about this 'Green' tax that is being inflicted upon us to change our life styles and I politely stated how we had a poor public transport intrastructure.

Today, just 24 hours later Stagecoach the local bus company have announced that here in South Devon they are gooing to close a few bus routes and put up fares by 16 - 20%? What a brilliant way to encourage the use of public transport. Now call me a cynic or a political activist, but how many inner cities today have had Stagecoach put up their prices and also threatened to close bus routes?

Green tax my backside.

John the cynic

 

[Carrotchomper]

Question answered. Ignore me!

 

[BonzoDog]

Yesterday I posted a message about this 'Green' tax that is being inflicted upon us to change our life styles and I politely stated how we had a poor public transport intrastructure.

Today, just 24 hours later Stagecoach the local bus company have announced that here in South Devon they are gooing to close a few bus routes and put up fares by 16 - 20%? What a brilliant way to encourage the use of public transport. Now call me a cynic or a political activist, but how many inner cities today have had Stagecoach put up their prices and also threatened to close bus routes?

Green tax my backside.

John the cynic

Just to make you jealous Glojo, I often use the bus for work. The 15km. journey costs 1 Euro (using a carnet 1.50 otherwise). It is clean, extremely modern, comfortable, air conditioned and on rare occasions it can be quicker than the car. 10 minute frequency in rush hour down to 20 mins most of the day and one hour frequency in the evenings.
A new sevice is being tested whereby if you are going for a night out the bus will pick you up and drop you off at home, throughout the night, providing you book ahead. The fee (I guess heavily subsidised) is 15 Euro. I think this is aimed at reducing drunken driving.

 

[glojo]

Just to make you jealous Glojo, I often use the bus for work. The 15km. journey costs 1 Euro (using a carnet 1.50 otherwise). It is clean, extremely modern, comfortable, air conditioned and on rare occasions it can be quicker than the car. 10 minute frequency in rush hour down to 20 mins most of the day and one hour frequency in the evenings.

I thnk governments should be commended for improving the public transport, your right though I am really envious as opposed to jealous, but it's the same thing. Our proud nation is slowly getting to be a third World country with terrible public services.

Oh well things could be worse.

John

 

[Dieselman]

A new sevice is being tested whereby if you are going for a night out the bus will pick you up and drop you off at home, throughout the night, providing you book ahead. The fee (I guess heavily subsidised) is 15 Euro. I think this is aimed at reducing drunken driving.

You just have to get 50 other people to travel with you from the same address.....

 

[prprandall51]

That address being: The Bus depot, Hight Street, .....

 

[BonzoDog]

You just have to get 50 other people to travel with you from the same address.....

When I have need of it I can't even find the bus let alone home.

 

[Alfie]

When I have need of it I can't even find the bus let alone home.

I know the feeling! Still, when you are with liquid friend, walking home from anywhere is on the list of those things you THINK you can do easily!

 

[BonzoDog]

I know the feeling! Still, when you are with liquid friend, walking home from anywhere is on the list of those things you THINK you can do easily!

Absolutely right - could this be the new training for Marathon runners, get completely legless and then see how far your legs can take you.

 

[glojo]

What I don't understand is when the budget was read out the chancellor stated that Inheritance Tax will change and by 2010??

My accountant has just sent me an idiots guide (I still don't understand it) and he states Inheritance Tax will rise to £300,000 from 6th April of THIS year (2007). My son has paid very close attention to that remark My point here is that if that one item was so inaccurate, what does it say about all the other items?

He also raised the threshold at which inheritance tax kicks in from £285,000 to £350,000 by 2010. Inheritance tax has been the subject of a noisy campaign by the Daily Mail, the Times and others who have protested that rising house prices will effectively penalize more and more homeowners. In fact, only a tiny minority is liable for any payment and Brown reassured his audience that, with his changes, just 6 percent of the population would be affected.

Do the smokers know that there will be a 5% reduction in VAT for over the counter purchasing of smoking cessation products for 12 months? Evidently these items are already 0% VAT rated when purchased on prescription.

I simply don't understand the car, van and fuel benefits, but what I have been given shows the maximum for the highest gas guzzler is the band CO2 emissions of 240+ = 35% of cars list priced taxed fuel benefits of £5040. Diesel cars have a 3% supplement but the maximumis still 35% however this was waived for the newer Euro Euro IV diesels. As I said earlier, I'm as thick as two short planks when it comes to this stuff, but I do have this large booklet. (I pay an accountant to be clever )

Regards
John

 

[MBManInKen]

I politely stated how we had a poor public transport intrastructure.

This is what I don't understand about Britain (*): you invented the bloody trains, why can't you run them properly anymore?

When I go to Belgium, I buy a carnet for 10 first class train tickets for 100 euro. To be used any time of the day, any distance. That is 10 Euro per trip. I get brand new carriages with working air conditioning, clean and running on time.

I was in the Netherlands 2 weeks ago. On Tuesday I had to take the train from Amsterdam to Utrecht for a meeting. On Monday evening, I put on the news and they show a major train accident: two trains collided, one derailed, tracks blocked. On which route? Indeed my Amsterdam-Utrecht one. Train traffic between both cities suspended. Bugger, there goes my trip and meeting!? No it didn't. Next day, by the time I had to travel, the trains were running again. Overnight they had removed the damaged trains and repaired the tracks... Oh, and it cost me 23 euro for a return trip first class at peak time. And they apologised for running 5 minutes late (!) because of speed restrictions in the area of the accident.

Next day, I travel from Amsterdam to Hannover, Germany. 4,5 hour trip. Again, runs like clockwork, perfectly on time. Nice facilities. Cost of a first class ticket? just over 75 quid.

What a success this privatisation of British rail has been!


(*) well, apart from cricket which is completely incomprehensible for any citizen of a non-Commonwealth country - I believe it's genetically determined

 

[glojo]

This is what I don't understand about Britain (*): you invented the bloody trains, why can't you run them properly anymore?

A very good point and it highlights just how we are being fooled by the different governments.

The reality is we are ENCOURAGED to use private transport, then severely taxed for using it.
This green tax is allegedly to encourage us to use non existant public transport.

The old village life that I was used to is now only a dream. Shops, and pubs have all closed because most folks own cars. No public transport because it is privatised and must make a profit to survive. Some inner cities allegedly have subsidised bus fares but down here the costs of a bus ticket are rediculous and simply encourage folks to use private transport.

There is some logic somewhere to this 'Green tax' but I have yet to find it. Having said that, the buffoons that are in power were voted in by the electorate so we shouldn't moan too much. ESPECIALLY the IDIOTS that voted for them they should be rejoicing at the way we are being treated?

Please everyone, let's all vote for the party that knows they are mad.

John

 

[Benzowner]

A very good point and it highlights just how we are being fooled by the different governments.

The reality is we are ENCOURAGED to use private transport, then severely taxed for using it.
This green tax is allegedly to encourage us to use non existant public transport.

The old village life that I was used to is now only a dream. Shops, and pubs have all closed because most folks own cars. No public transport because it is privatised and must make a profit to survive. Some inner cities allegedly have subsidised bus fares but down here the costs of a bus ticket are rediculous and simply encourage folks to use private transport.

There is some logic somewhere to this 'Green tax' but I have yet to find it. Having said that, the buffoons that are in power were voted in by the electorate so we shouldn't moan too much. ESPECIALLY the IDIOTS that voted for them they should be rejoicing at the way we are being treated?

Please everyone, let's all vote for the party that knows they are mad.

John

Firstly John, the Lib Dems will never get in Secondly, privatised anything does not have to make a profit to survive, what they must do is make a profit for their shareholders that is,imo, primarily where the problem lies. All or most of the profits in the early years were given to shareholders instead of being reinvested into the company. They did not appear to give a damn about the punters who made them their profits, sad life being shafted by successive governments, the Tories started this privatisation thing and then by the new big bosses with their massive shareholdings who just ploughed the money into their own pockets.

 

[Dieselman]

They did not appear to give a damn about the punters who made them their profits, sad life being shafted by successive governments, the Tories started this privatisation thing and then by the new big bosses with their massive shareholdings who just ploughed the money into their own pockets.

Everyone wants their pension fund to succeed, this is how it's done.

 

[mark.t]

when anything is privatised you need greedy little people to by the shares they where all dooped into buying shares in gas ,water ,electric ,rail, they bloody owned them in the first place ........greedy little people ruined the country .......champagne socialist

 

[Rob77]

when anything is privatised you need greedy little people to by the shares they where all dooped into buying shares in gas ,water ,electric ,rail, they bloody owned them in the first place ........greedy little people ruined the country .......champagne socialist

And again, in English

 

[SimonsMerc]

That address being: The Bus depot, Hight Street, .....

"Hight Street" is how you pronounce it after a night out on the town ;-)

-simon

 

[mark.t]

And again, in English

you need a translation